Rowlock



April 25,

1950 J, GAGNON 2,505,708

ROWLOCK Filed Feb. 19, 1947 F/ G. J

INVENTOR HERBERT J. GAGNON Patented Apr. 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved row lock for an oar and more particularly to a type thereof having a hinged, adjustable ring which may be removably secured to a variety of oar loom sizes.

Persons acquainted with the various types of row locks, especially those used on row boats found on inland lakes, have long been aware of the need for an improved. removable, adjustable row lock which will positively engage the loom of an oar and which will do so without binding at the pivot point between the oar engaging member and the boat engaging member of said row lock. l

The conventional wooden car, now in common use, becomes worn t the point where it is engaged by the row lock regardless of the original fit between said oar and said row lock. Therefore. since those hinged, removable row locks presently in use are not readily adaptable to reductions in shaft diameter, the wear will produce a loose engagement between said car and said row lock. Such a loose fit is not only irritating in itself, but also accelerates further wearing action.

It i also desirable to have a row lock which could be securely engaged to a conventional tapered oar at a variety of positions along the loom thereof.

Accordingly, it becomes a primary object of this invention to provide an improved, hinged, removable row lock which may be adjustably secured to the loom of an oar.

A further object of this invention is to provide means as aforesaid which is readily adaptable to positive engagement with a variety of sizes of oar loom diameters.

A further object of this invention is to provide means as aforesaid which both can be manufactured quickly and economically, and also can be operated easily by unskilled persons.

Other objects and purposes of this invention will become apparent to persons familiar with this type of equipment upon referring to the accompanying drawings and upon reading the following specification.

In order to meet those objects and purposes heretofore mentioned, as well as others incidental thereto and associated therewith, I have provided an improved row lock which is comprised of a split, hinged ring which engages the loom of an oar, and a tapered swivel pin which engages the gunwale of a boat. The said hinged ring is pivotally supported upon the swivel pin by means of a wing screw, which screw also provides the means by which said hinged ring is adjustably secured to said oar loom.

For illustrations of a preferred embodiment of the invention, attention is directed to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is an end view of the row lock, to which the invention relates, secured to a portion of an oar loom.

Figure 2 is a side view of the said row lock and a sectional view of the said portion of an oar loom taken along the line lI-II in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view of the opposite side of the said row look shown in Figure 2.

The ring ll of the row lock H1, disclosed herein, is composed of two substantially semi-circular segments I2 and [3 which are pivotally engaged to or hinged upon each other at one end of each thereof by means of a suitable hinge pin 14. The said hinge may be of any convenient conventional type, such as the dove-tail hinge l5 illustrated herewith. That portion of the said ring in the vicinity of the hinge l5 may be appropriately thicker than other portions of the ring, as illustrated in Figure 2, in order to provide a sturdier hinge than would otherwise be possible.

The said semi-circular segments [2 and I3 are provided respectively, with integrally bossed flanges l6 and I! adjacent to those respective ends l8 and I9, which are remote from the said hinged extremities of the said semi-circular segments. Said bossed flanges l6 and I! are pivotally associated with the swivel pin head 2!! of the swivel pin 28 on opposite sides thereof by means of the winged screw 22.

The said winged screw 22 is rotatably received through a suitable opening 23 in the bossed flange ll and another suitable opening 24 in the swivel pin head 2 I. and is threadedly engaged with the said bossed flange It.

The extensions of the said segments l2 and I3 beyond the flanges l6 and ll are of such length relative to the corresponding dimension of the swivel head 2! that their respective ends l8 and IE! will engage each other, upon tightening the pin 22, before the flanges I 6 and I1 engage opposing sides of the swivel pin head 2|. As shown in Figure 2, the row lock is applied to an oar of minimum diameter at the point of application in as much as said ends l8 and I9 are shown in contact with each other. As said row lock is applied to cars of larger diameter, said ends 18 and I9 will be spaced from each other.

The swivel pin 20 has a shank 25 which, as shown herein, is preferably of circular crosssection and tapered for appropriate reception by any conventional type of row lock seat, commonly in use, but not here shown.

The said row look It may be fabricated from,

any suitable, durable material such as steel, bronze or magnesium alloy, and may be made in such proportions as to be suited to use on a large life boat or, as illustrated and described herein, for use on a smaller, inland lake row boat.

The inside bore 30 of the said ring H may be tapered, as appearing in Figure 1, to conform with the customary taper of a conventional oar loom, or may be a straight bore, as desired. By so tapering the said bore 3i], where the row lock is to be used with an oar having a tapered loom, the area of engagement between the inner surface of the said ring and the oar loom is thereby increased thus eliminating any tendency for the oar to wobble in the row lock and the injurious wearing which follows therefrom.

In operation, the Winged screw is unscrewed until it disengages the threaded opening in the flange l5 and releases the semi-circular segment I2 of which the said flange I6 is an integral part. The said semi-circular segment I2 may then be swung open about the hinge 15, as illustrated in Figure 3, so as to receive the loom of an car.

When the oar loom 3| has been received by the inner surface of the semi-circular segment l3, the semi-circular segment [2 is swung back until the inner surface thereof engages the car loom 3i, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The winged screw is threaded into the flange l6 and tightened until the ring it is satisfactoril secured to the said oar loom 3 I p The said ring ll and the car loom supported thereby are thereby free to pivot, by means of the winged screw 22, about the head 2| of the swivel pin 29 whose shank 25 is in turn rotatably supported by means of any conventional, appropriate row lock seat affixed as required to the gunwale of a boat.

Although the above mentioned drawings and description apply to one particular preferred embodiment of the invention, it is not my intentions, implied or otherwise, to eliminate other variations or modifications which do not depart from the scope of the invention unless specifically stated to the contrary in the hereinafter appended claims.

I claim:

1. An adjustable row lock adapted for positive engagement with the loom of an oar, comprising in combination: a first semi-circular segment for partly encircling the said loom of an oar and a second semi-circular segment for substantially but not entirely completing the encircling of said loom, said segments being hingediy connected together at one pair of opposed ends; a pair of bossed flanges, one extending from each segment, near but spaced from the other opposed ends of said segments, one of said flanges having a smooth-bore opening therethrough and the other flange having a threaded opening therethrough coaxial with said smooth-bore opening; a swivel pin of substantially circular cross-section and having a head portion positioned between said flanges, said head having a smooth-bore opening extending therethrough coaxial with the openings in said flanges; a manually rotatable partially threaded screw slidably extending through said smooth bore openings and threadedly received into the said threaded opening of said other bossed flange; said swivel pin head being at least slightly smaller in its dimension parallel to said screw than the combined distances by which the bossed flanges are spaced from the nearest ends of their respective semicircular segments; whereby upon tightening of the said screw the semi-circular segments may securely grip the loom of said car while permitting the said head of the said swivel pin to pivot freely upon the screw between the said flanges.

2. An adjustable row lock adapted for positive engagement with the loom of an oar, comprising in combination: a first semi-circular segment for partly encircling the said loom of an oar and a second semi-circular segment for substantially but not entirely completing the encircling of said loom, one end of said second segment being hingedly connected to the opposed end of said first segment; a pair of bossed flanges one extending from each of said segments adjacent to but spaced from the ends thereof remote from said hinged ends, one flange having a smoothbore opening therethrough and the other flange having a threaded opening therethrough coaxial with said smooth-bore opening; a swivel pin having a head portion slidably received between said flanges when said adjacent segment ends are together, said head having a smooth-bore opening extending therethrough coaxial with the openings in said flanges; a manually rotatable screw extending through said smooth bore openings and threadedly received into the said threaded opening of said other bossed flange; whereby upon tightening of the said screw the semi-circular segments are secured upon the loom of an oar while permitting the said head of the said swivel pin to pivot freely upon the said screw between the said flanges.

' HERBERT J. GAGNON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Tansley Mar. 11, 1902 

